Asia Bibi appeals for the repeal of Pakistan's blasphemy laws
- Apr 21, 2021
When it comes to people Christians should try to emulate, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput puts Samwise “Sam” Gamgee (a companion to protagonist Frodo Baggins in Lord of the Rings) at the top of the list.
The two disciples were so distracted in their disappointment that they couldn’t see the mighty works that were already happening in Jerusalem.
God’s grace desires to pierce our world, which was made good, but is now fallen. There is no battle between supposedly equal forces of good and evil. Such false drama is not reality. The true battle is between a good world and an illness – a spiritual cancer – called evil.
The proclamation of the Lord’s Resurrection has been passed down through the ages, accompanied by the Christian way of life. The two are inseparable. The Resurrection gives meaning to the way of life, while the way of life embodies and gives credibility to the Resurrection.
Palm Sunday also begins Holy Week, the most revered week of the entire Christian calendar. Within this one week, the principal events of human salvation will be celebrated. From Holy Thursday and Good Friday, to the Great Easter Vigil and Easter Day itself, the Passion, Death, and glorious Resurrection of the Lord Jesus will be solemnly re-presented to the People of God.
On March 15, Constanza Alva de Urmeneta got in the car behind the hearse for the funeral procession of her 15-year-old daughter, Pía Urmeneta. Typically, somber occasions, it was apparent from the second they drove off the church lot that this was instead a celebration of Pía’s life, just as she had wanted.
As hard as it is to hear, the Lord Jesus truly wants us to die to ourselves and to follow him. There are no if’s, and’s, or but’s. It is an unconditional surrender.
In truth, God is infinitely perfect. He doesn’t need a reboot, an upgrade, or any assistance from any of his creatures to be somehow better or more relevant, or more kind, or more merciful.